Everyone hopes that their holiday will pass without incident, but as we all know it’s always possible for your baby to become ill for a variety of reasons when abroad.
Prepare well in advance and make sure you are ready in the event that baby does become unwell. Firstly it's important to make sure that your child is fully covered on your travel insurance policy for medical treatment abroad and ensure you keep important phone numbers such as a local medical centre and the insurance company’s claim hot-line ready to hand. If you do need help, most insurance companies will have lists of approved medical practitioners in each country, so should be able to advise you.
If your child is already taking medication before going on holiday, make sure you have enough to last the whole holiday and several extra days worth too in case of unforeseen delays.
The vast majority of minor ailments can be attended to using a Basic First-Aid Kit which you can put together yourself at home and take with you. This should contain the following items as a rough guide:
Thermometer.
Calpol Sachets and Dioralyte (rehydration) sachets.
Anti-histamine cream
Insect repellent
Calamine lotion
Sun Cream
Calendula Cream
Plasters and small bandages
Always remember that prevention is better than cure so stick to some simple and fairly basic rules. Keep baby cool and out of the sun and make sure he drinks lots of fluids. Sterilise feeding utensils, use bottled water and make sure that baby plays in a safe spot.
Remember if you are thinking of travelling to particularly high-risk areas such as those in tropical Malarial zones, you will need to speak to your doctor for advice.
The above is for guidance only and should not be taken as medical advice. If you are ever in doubt about your baby’s health, you should not hesitate to seek medical advice. If you are travelling with a large holiday company or tour operator they will be able to arrange this for you using one of their local representatives. Otherwise, take advice from your insurance company.
March 2010 | 
Canvas Holidays 2012
